Idiosyncratic Estonian producer Mihkel Kleis flings charged particles of sound from his psyche into the air in such a way that intricate and obtuse creations emerge. Elements of dance music are present in his offerings as Ratkiller, yet these tropes are distorted, manipulated and juxtaposed into a lysergic stew of smooth jazz, '80s pop music, early electronic experimentation and rubbery funk.
This warped chill-out vibe is in full force on Odor Orienting, his latest cassette and first effort for the West Virginia-based Crash Symbols label. Opening with a free jazz-based drum/piano duel, "Not Enough to Understand" quickly shifts gears into a funky array of elastic bass and clattering percussion. "Sympathy," the first of two tracks featuring fellow countryman Benzokai, plays out like a damaged self-help tape. The weirdest and best piece on offer is "Bleed," in which a down-pitched poetry reading is tied to a shredding electric guitar before an invisible rug is yanked and the track is transformed into a cleverly assembled downtempo dance number.
Deliciously bonkers, Kleis' autodidactic approach to dance music is nimble enough to travel in many directions simultaneously without stretching itself too thin.
(Crash Symbols)This warped chill-out vibe is in full force on Odor Orienting, his latest cassette and first effort for the West Virginia-based Crash Symbols label. Opening with a free jazz-based drum/piano duel, "Not Enough to Understand" quickly shifts gears into a funky array of elastic bass and clattering percussion. "Sympathy," the first of two tracks featuring fellow countryman Benzokai, plays out like a damaged self-help tape. The weirdest and best piece on offer is "Bleed," in which a down-pitched poetry reading is tied to a shredding electric guitar before an invisible rug is yanked and the track is transformed into a cleverly assembled downtempo dance number.
Deliciously bonkers, Kleis' autodidactic approach to dance music is nimble enough to travel in many directions simultaneously without stretching itself too thin.